Kenneth Woods, Author at English Symphony Orchestra

“Inspired by Mahler”: A celebration of the Lost Generation of composers who found inspiration in Mahler’s life and music

The English Symphony Orchestra’s acclaimed Music from Wyastone series of virtual concerts continues on the 27th of January with a celebration of the music of some of the leading composers of the generation of musicians inspired by the life and music of Gustav Mahler, including Mieczysław Weinberg, Erwin Schulhoff and Viktor Ullmann. The ESO’s Artistic Director, Kenneth Woods, conducts and is joined by violin soloist Zoë Beyers and soprano April Fredrick.

English Symphony Orchestra Art of Storytelling project continues as Henry Goodman narrates Lubin, from Chelm

Following on from the successful launch of their new series of virtual storytelling concerts with the premiere of Kenneth Woods’s The Ugly Duckling narrated by Hugh Bonneville, the ESO are thrilled to welcome Henry Goodman who narrates David Yang’s hilarious Klezmer-inspired work, Lubin, from Chelm. The new orchestral version of Yang’s 2010 composition (orchestrated by Kenneth Woods) premieres on ESO Digital at 6PM on Friday the 4th of December. The video includes performance footage of Goodman and the ESO alongside pencil drawings by Canadian artist Alisa Snyder.

The Ugly Duckling – A Letter from Wanda Sobieska

Ken Woods asked Wanda Sobieska to write a blog post about her wonderful illustrations for The Ugly Duckling in advance of the work’s premiere. She chose to do so in the form of this beautiful letter, which he shares here.

Visions of Childhood – The Conductor’s Perspective

Conductor Kenneth Woods shares his thoughts about our concert :Visions of Childhood.”

English Symphony Orchestra responds to coronavirus crisis with innovation and energy

Like orchestras all over the world, the English Symphony Orchestra has been dealt a devastating artistic and financial blow by the COVID-19 crisis.

Concerts and recordings that were years in the planning were all cancelled, and the orchestra has lost over 60% of its annual turnover in earned income and cancelled concert fees. It has been our musicians who have been most hard-hit by this. Like most orchestral musicians in the London orchestras and chamber orchestras around the UK, they are paid on a freelance basis, so this has been a time of real hardship for all of them.

Author: Kenneth Woods

“Inspired by Mahler”: A celebration of the Lost Generation of composers who found inspiration in Mahler’s life and music

English Symphony Orchestra Art of Storytelling project continues as Henry Goodman narrates Lubin, from Chelm

The Ugly Duckling – A Letter from Wanda Sobieska

Visions of Childhood – The Conductor’s Perspective

English Symphony Orchestra responds to coronavirus crisis with innovation and energy

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